Do I need a TV Licence if I only listen to the radio?

Do I need a TV Licence if I only listen to the radio?

No, you do not need a TV Licence to listen to the radio (including on BBC Sounds).

Does TV license include radio?

86% of the licence fee is spent on BBC TV channels, radio stations, BBC iPlayer, BBC Sounds and online services.

How can I legally avoid a TV Licence?

#1 If you only watch catch-up TV you do not need a TV licence. You only need to have a TV licence if you watch shows as they are being shown on television (live TV). If you have a TV but only use it to watch catch-up TV (BBC iPlayer, ITV Player or 4oD) then you do not need a TV licence.

What TV channels can be watched without a Licence?

Without a licence, you can legally watch:

• Netflix.
• YouTube.
• Amazon Prime.
• DVDs/Blurays.
• Non-BBC catch-up including ITV Player, Channel 4 on-demand, as long as it’s NOT live.

What happens if I don’t have a TV Licence?

If TV Licensing believes you’re watching ‘live TV’ or using BBC iPlayer without a licence, enquiry officers may pay you a visit. They can’t enter your home without permission, but can apply for a search warrant to do so. They may also use detection equipment such as vans and handheld detectors.

Was there a radio Licence?

An annual licence fee of 10 shillings was first introduced under the Wireless Telegraphy Act in November 1923, to cover radio sets. By the end of 1923, 200,000 licences had been issued and by 1928 this had risen to 2.5m. The first combined radio and TV licence, costing £2, was issued in June 1946.

How do they know if you don’t have a TV license?

The agents carry out checks on people they believe do not have a licence but they are NOT allowed inside your home without permission. In a bid to catch evaders, high-tech handheld detectors and vans can also be used to detect whether someone is watching TV without a licence.

Can TV Licensing detect Internet?

No, the BBC can’t drive up your street and sense that you’re using iPlayer. And it probably never could tell if you were watching TV. Previously, a licence was required to watch live programmes on iPlayer, in just the same way as if you watched them using a TV aerial, but not if you watched them later.